Many people experience breathing problems, which may result in difficulty sleeping, in snoring, or in other more serious conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea. One treatment for such breathing disorders involves the use of devices inserted into a user's mouth for extending the user's lower jaw forward, possibly in conjunction with a face mask for supplying air to the user. These devices open the breathing passageway more fully to allow easier breathing through the nose and mouth.
As technology continues to advance and users continue to demand increased comfort and performance, improving the breathing of users has become increasingly important. Previous devices for improving breathing have included upper and lower arches that are connected together outside a user's mouth and then inserted into the user's mouth as an integrated unit to position the user's lower jaw forward. Although these devices may treat some breathing problems, these devices do not sufficiently treat more serious conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea, while also allowing the user or a clinical professional to adjust the position of the user's lower jaw after the arches have been inserted into the user's mouth. Furthermore, these devices do not allow the forward and vertical positions of the lower jaw to be adjusted independently and relatively easily. Moreover, these devices are often unwieldy and uncomfortable for the user with respect to insertion into the user's mouth and subsequent use after insertion into the user's mouth. As a result of these and other deficiencies, such devices and methods for improving breathing are inadequate for the needs of many users.